Change Can Be a Good Thing
by StrikerL26
Summary: Change - an act or process through which something becomes different. A thing many people hate, especially when it happens to people. The change? Natsu fully transforms into E.N.D. during the battle with Alvarez. Takes place after chapter 500 of the Manga.
1. 17 minutes and 32 seconds

Change, especially to a person, is one thing that many people fear. Once people change you no longer know them anymore. Whether it is physical, emotional or spiritual change often causes a rift in relationships, especially the strongest ones.

It becomes ten times worse when the one who has changed was previously thought to be unable to change.

* * *

In exactly 17 minutes and 32 seconds, Gray Fullbuster would die.

In exactly 17 minutes and 32 seconds, Gray Fullbuster would die in battle from intense burns.

In exactly 17 minutes and 32 seconds, Gray Fullbuster would die at the hands of his best friend.

When Gray had come across Natsu around a minute ago he had hardly recognised him. If it hadn't been for his physique, his pink hair and his trademark scarf, Gray would never have recognised the monster he saw before him to be Natsu Dragneel. Nor would he have ever recognised Natsu as E.N.D.

Until now.

* * *

Black markings like scars had made their way across Natsu's arms and torso much like Gray's own right arm. His hands, encased in a crimson fire much darker than what it usually was, created shadows of his clawed hands. However, what Gray found the most unsettling was his eyes. Despite being overshadowed by his longer hair his right eye still managed to make itself seen. Gray really wished that it hadn't. His sclera glowed its usual white but the iris radiated a disturbing black. A black full or hatred. A black full of death. A black that showed no mercy.

" _Gray…"_

Even the voice was distorted. Gone was the cheery, happy-go-lucky voice only to be replaced by the depths of Tartarus itself.

"So it was you all this while Natsu…"

Silence followed. They both knew what was coming. It was inevitable. Gray had to fulfil his father's last wish and Natsu his brother's.

"You're going down Natsu," Gray shouted. Suddenly he was angry. Angry at fate. Angry at the fact that he had to fight his friend. Angry that the one who had caused him so much pain was right there all of this time.

Nevertheless, it was all over very quickly. Gray still wasn't sure exactly when Natsu had struck him. But he had and that had been it. Which brought him to where he was now. On the ground in a pool of his own blood. With only 17 minutes and 32 seconds left. He had come to accept it though. He had lived a happy and fruitful life. The only thing he regretted was not giving Juvia a ye-

"GRAY!" The voice of Erza Scarlet cut through the silence. Out of the corner of his eye, the ice mage saw a familiar flash of red hair as Erza ran towards him. She stopped in front of him, shocked.

"What happened"?

He finally forced himself to look down. The whole of his lower torso was pierced. One of his ribs was poking out. He looked away when he saw that, any more and he was sure he would puke. He froze the wound, attempting to stop the blood loss. The redhead also surveyed his wounds and her bangs overshadowed her hair. Her fists clenched and trembled. She was _livid_.

"Who did this?"

She was going to regret asking.

* * *

"WENDY!? CHELIA!? PORLYUSICA!?" Erza shouted. They had been walking for around 10 minutes now. With every step, she felt Gray rely on her more. She needed to find a healer and fast. Gray wasn't the only one in need of medical attention. Suddenly a large eye appeared in the sky right in front of the mountain they had climbed. She looked around, hoping to see a flash of blue or pink or even hear the enchantment of either a God Slayer or a Dragon Slayer.

"NATSU?!". The familiar voice of the youngest dragon slayer carried itself through the silence of the ruins of the distorted Magnolia. Accompanied by the voice of a white Exceed and a blonde Celestial Spirit Mage who shouted the same name. The blue Exceep simply hovered high in the sky looking for the said Dragonslayer. She smiled and jumped down the mountain, landing in front of the wounded group.

"Erza!" the four shouted joyously upon recognising her. But the joy on their faces soon turned to concern when they saw the state of the unconscious ice mage on her back. Laying Gray down on the ground, Wendy instantly went to work on attempting to close up his stomach.

"What happened to him?" asked Lucy, looking at Erza to remove her eyes from the gruesome sight. Erza flinched, remembering the story Gray had managed to tell her before he had fallen unconscious. Her chin suddenly felt ticklish. She moved her hand up to scratch it only to feel water. Tears began to flow down her cheeks at a faster rate. Her legs wobbled and she struggled to stand.

"Natsu" she whispered.

But she was given no time to rest. For before she had time to elaborate large wind swept above their heads Knocking everyone down except Erza. The winds dissipated as soon as they came, revealing a woman who Wendy thought smelled very similar to Erza.

"It has been _far, far_ too long Erza…"

* * *

 _ **(Time skip, I rlly cba to write the fight between Erza and Irene. What happens between chapter 509 and 520 isn't rlly relevant to this story apart from the fact that the Spriggan 12 were defeated)**_

* * *

E.N.D. stumbled into the building of the Fairy Tail Guild around an hour later. Zeref watched him and knew instantly that he was moments away from his wish being fulfilled. If he was elated he didn't show it. Outwardly he started a stare down with Natsu. Black stared into black. Brother to brother. Maker to Creator.

"So you have finally come to kill me Natsu…"

The clawed fists of the flaming pinkette clenched as he narrowed his eyes at his brother.

" _Zeref…"_ he rasped, death in his eyes and on his mind.

"Come Natsu!" Zeref shouted, his eyes were suddenly wild, anticipating the fight that was sure to be entertaining. The most fun he would have in his immortal life

" _Come and kill your brother!"_

 _ **Done. Never realised how hard this stuff actually is. It takes effforrtttt. Anyway plz R &R. I am also looking for a beta reader so pm me if u wanna beta read. If I did anything rlly bad or if u have any improvement plz review!**_

 ** _P.S. i am currenlt debateing on ships. Do u guys want NaZa, NaMi or NaLu?_**


	2. The Dead Shall Rise

" ** _Demonic Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"_** E.N.D. snarled. With unexpected speed he rushed forward smacking the black magician with a flaming fist of rage. Surprised by how much Natsu's power had increased, Zeref had no chance in blocking as the hard blow threw him across the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. Yet Zeref still smiled as he rose from the wreckage of one of the demolished tables in the Guild Hall . This was what he wanted. He decided to respond with his own attack, calling upon the Darkness and making it solid as it travelled down his covered arms into his hand. With explosive speed he threw it at E.N.D.

In response, the greatest Etherious ever made raised his hand and formed a spontaneous combustion covering the whole area in front of him in a line, forming a protective cover of fire that stopped the blast. E.N.D. came very close to a smile at this moment, assuming this would be an easy win, only to see that Zeref himself had ran around the wall of fire and had his hand poised for a punch powered by darkness. Acting purely on instincts, he ignited his right hand and slapped the punch away from him and responded with one of his own, sending the Black Mage back a couple of metres.

Suddenly Zeref disappeared in a flash of black smoke letting silence fall upon the Guild Hall. The smoke spread out and engulfed the Hall in darkness.

E.N.D. saw this and was silent .

No limb was moved.

But some Zeref suddenly found himself unable to breathe. He was choking. A scaly hand had somehow made his way around his throat and _squeezed._ Through the sense of smell alone Natsu had found Zeref and grabbed his neck. The eyes of the two met in a heated fight. Black to Black. Hatred to Excitement. Brother to Brother.

In the end Zeref won by cheating. Forming a blade of darkness in his hand he managed to stab it into the heavily armoured arm that held his neck. Natsu groaned and he released Zeref from his grip, who disappeared in a flash of smoke before he hit the floor, re-emerging a few seconds later a safe space away from the pinkette. Said pinkette groaned as he roughly removed the blade from his arms. Maroon blood gushed from the wound and pooled onto the floor.

With renewed vigour Natsu rushed forward propelling himself with his flames towards the Dark Mage. Landing a Hard kick to Zeref's centre he attempted to follow up with a roundhouse kick to his head, but Zeref foresaw and ducked, using his downwards momentum, he landed upside down in a crouched handstand then extended, sending his feet straight into Natsu's jaw. Blood spewed from the Demon's mouth as he propelled backwards through the air. Zeref laughed.

"Is that all you've got brother! Give me your all!"

" ** _Demonic Roar of The Fire Dragon!"_**

Zeref world turned Red. The attack completely engulfed him. Only able to cover his face with his hands, the rest if Zeref's nerves exploded, pain seared through his body like sound through air. The very force from the breath attack forced him to loose his footing, sending him through the back of the guildhall, where the same attack had made a massive hole. Before he knew it the water had come up to greet him, submerging him in what should have been darkness.

But it was Red. Red as fire. Red like fire. Then Zeref realised, the red _was_ fire.

The whole surface of the water was on fire. For miles around him all Zeref could see was specks of blue and whole pillars of fire, rising up from the water burning the very air. It was becoming harder to breathe. If he didn't end this soon he would lose. He might still live if he didn't breathe but he wouldn't be able to move. And that meant loss. He may have wanted to die but this was the most excitement he had had in hundreds of years. He wasn't going to give up that easily. Raising his hand to the sky he started a spell.

" ** _The blackest night falls from the skies..." (_** ** _Anyone who recognises this had my utmost respect)_**

Enhanced senses had allowed Natsu to notice even the slightest movement or changes in the Light or movement. E.N.D. had further enhanced these. But he didn't need any of these to recognise something was clearly wrong with the sky. The clouds had become charcoal. The sun was nowhere to be seen and as if a silent agreement had gone on without his consent, all of his fire had gone out in while of black smoke. He gripped the edge of the hole in the Guild Hall precaustiously, knowing something was about to happen.

" ** _The darkness falls as all light dies_**

" ** _We crave your hearts and your demise_**

" ** _By my black hand..."_**

* * *

A few miles away the rest of Fairy Tail along with some of the members of other well known guild were walking towards the Fairy Tail Guild hall. With Makarov's demise on their hearts and Natsu on their minds, a pin dropping could be heard. Everyone was solemn.

Of course peace is always broken by _something_. In this case, something came in the form of an ear-piercing inhuman shout. A flurry of hands moved up to ears as the horrible shriek continued. Many fell down as the shriek caused the very ground below them to shake. Then it stopped. Once again a pin dropping could be heard. There were a few moments of silence before everyone ACTUALLY processed what hat happened.

"Nani?!"

"What happened?"

"The end is us upon us!"

"That came from the Guild Hall!"

"Really? What are we waiting for then?"

"LET'S GO!"

* * *

" ** _...The dead shall rise"_**

The very moment the chant ended Natsu's eardrums died. Cursing his enhanced hearing. Natsu struggled to look around. Just like the sound started, it stopped. Without warning or signs. Quickly recovering Nastu stood up; only to be pulled back down to the ground again. Confuse he once again stoof up crushing an irritating insect on his ankle.

 _Crunch_

Natsu stopped, confused. Insects didn't make that type of crunch. That sounded like the time he had broke his arm while trying to free Lucy from some old ruins he had wanted to explore. He looked down at his ankle to see the crushed remains of what looked like a bone. He picked a particualy large piece up and held it next to his thumb.

Small, but it looked the same. Alarms rung in Natsu's mind. As if these bells had been outside his head, things suddenly started to happen. Hands similar to what Natsu held in his had suddenly rose through the floor of the Guild Hall. Following these hands came arms, legs and heads, quite familiar to those who had been fighting the Alvarez army earlier. The Berserkers had risen.

Using quick reactions, Natsu bent himself forward, narrowly missing the axe of an Risen Beserker. More of them started to use their various weapons to pelt him with attacks. Easy was either met with a flaming fist or a swift kick. Natsu had never felt more fluid in his life. Each time one of their heads rolled off their body he felt more alive than ever before. For the first time since Igneel's Death, Natsu almost felt whole. _Almost._

Hours passes as Natsu continued to fend off the Risen Berserkers who annoyingly would not return to their eternal rest. Soon every punch and kick came with a sore as his limbs began to tire. Lots of stamina was not the same as infinite. Zeref watched from the corner of the Guild Hall. The Hunter watched his prey, preparing his last attack to end the war.

Meanwhile the Dragonslayer had yet still to find a more efficient way of returning the dead back to their graves than simply using his fists. The Berserkers had managed to land many attacks on him now. Each attack on one of then left him open to an attack from another. The blows never stopped and soon all Natsu could do was block. Forced to his knees and enraged that the _insignificant lackeys_ could even get close to him he let out a scream of pure rage. His magic power intensified as the aura around him suddenly became dangerously hot.

" ** _Demonic Dragonslayer King's Secret Art: Crimson Exploding Flame Edge!"_**

Right outside the Guild Hall, Laxus was just about to open the door when the whole guild hall exploded; throwing him several metres back into Gray who was waiting with the rest of Fairy Tail and other guilds who had participated in the war. Shocked by what she had just seen. Mirajane looked at what used to be her Guild Hall.

It was now a crater several feet deep. And in the centre stood a Demon that looked to similar to the resident Fire Dragonslayer of Fairy Tail, with one foot on Zeref's chest, one clawed hand poised for one final attack and one wild look in his eye.

For the first time, Zeref felt that he might actually die. What he didn't get, was why he was so...

 _diisappointed._

* * *

 ** _Oof. Sorry for the long wait. Thank u for all ur suggestions on pairings. But first I just wanna make something flat before I get more comment like the one from janembajuice._**

 ** _Personally I want to write NaMi. There I said it. HOWEVER Erza has more votes and I don't mind writing NaZa. I do have a plan for both pairings. Also I'm sorry about the completed tag that went up bus accident. I didn't realise it was there. Moreover I changed it from a NaZa pairing to just four characters was so that people who wanted NaMi and put a filter for NaMi would find this story. Otherwise the only votes I would get would be NaZa obv. For now, its Naza but if Mira Gets more votes it will change. I think its safe to say Lucy is out of the race_**

 ** _Also pls pm me if u find any grammar mistakes._** ** _Still looking for a beta._**

 ** _RR._**

 ** _Striker_**


	3. Broken Promises

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Was ketchup better than mustard? Was God real? Zeref didn't know. It's amazing how the mind tends to wander when stared in the face by death.

Unfortunately, death decided to come slowly as Natsu slowly scraped the claw on the index finger of his left hand across Zeref's chest. The Dark Mage moaned as a crimson lake formed itself on his chest.

The groan from the Black Mage shook the onlookers above from their shock. If they hadn't seen it for themselves none of them would have beloved it. But now, here, before them in the flesh. It was undeniable that Natsu was E.N.D.

"Kami! It's true!"

"Natsu is E.N.D!"

"He was destructive enough before, now we're really screwed!"

Ignoring the shouts from above. E.N.D. continued to torture his brother. Initially, he ripped through only the skin layer. Gradually he sent his claws deeper into Zeref's skin. Moving his claws faster and faster he added another two fingers to the torture. The black mage began to scream when Natsu moved from his torso to his thighs, ripping through muscle-like tissue paper.

Ezra could watch no longer. Yes, she wanted him to suffer. She wouldn't even mind if he died. But it became a whole different ball game if Natsu was the one yo land the killing blow. Once you killed someone there's was no going back.

Ready to inflict more pain, E.N.D. brought down his right clawed hand, aiming for Zeref's stomach. Before contact could be made, Zeref hard a soft _woosh_ accompanied by the sound of metal meeting bone a second later. He looked up to see flaming red hair and Heart Kruz armour. The daughter of Irene had protected him.

Surprised and annoyed, the demon glared down at the redhead in front of him. She returned it with equal intensity.

"Natsu! You nee-"

With one swore the Etherious removed the annoyance from his line of sight, sending it across the crater towards its fellow guildmates. Returning to his playtime, E.N.D. once again attempted to show the dark mage eternal darkness, only for a blade embed itself in his hand. Returning his gaze to the bystanders once more, E.N.D saw the same annoyance once again, still standing, wearing her **_Heaven's Wheel_** **Armour**. A myriad of swords circled behind her. With an outstretched arm, she recalled her blade to her.

The removal of the sword caused E.N.D. to grimace slightly. He was more annoyed by the fact that the distraction would take more effort to deal with. Within 20 seconds, the wound had almost already closed up, his high-speed regeneration coming into play.

"Natsu! Listen to me! You mu-"

The human's voice had gotten annoying the second her mouth opened. Quickly fixed with an unexpected uppercut, the demon once again made for the Black Mage, who had managed to sit up despite his severe injuries. For what he hoped was the last time, the demon once again raised his left hand, right about to strike.

And this time no sword stopped him.

The power of the strike made the very ground shake, causing a dust cloud to rise up around him. Sight became useless, so instead, he listened for a heartbeat. Silence. Serenity. Peace. The black mage wad finally dead. All he wanted to do now was collect the body ad a trophy. And then sleep. Yes. ' _Sleep is good'_ he thought. But first, his prize. Exhaling deeply, E.N.D. inhaled all of the dust, returning visibility to the vicinity. There in front of him, lay the remains of the Dark Mage

...'s cloak.

A few metres behind him, what should have been a corpse lay sweating profusely at the feet of his red-headed saviour. He had come so close, only for her to deny him of his first kill. It seemed that the woman would have to be terminated. Permanently.

"Natsu! I _told_ y-"

Suddenly, Ezra was flung to the side, as if she were a fly. Before she had time to comprehend what was happening, her head was roughly grabbed in mid-air and slammed into the ground, the rest of her body following like a rag doll.

It was then, that the massacre started. No part of the body was paid special attention. Whatever his hands met is what was burned, broken or beaten. The only part left out was the head. The demon wanted her fully conscious as he thrashed her within inches of her life. He didn't hear the cries from the onlookers for him to stop. Nor did he see Zeref try and crawl away. He didn't hear her screams for him to stop. All he saw was the fresh crimson blood outing from her voluptuous as he broke her.

Yet all good things must come to an end. He still had to kill Zeref. Picking the barely conscious woman up, he levelled her head with his hand, preparing the final strike.

"Natsu, _please…_ "

The faint whisper caused the Etherious to look her in the eye, hoping to enjoy the look of despair in her eyes as she took her final breaths. It was then that he noticed it; the two salty waterfalls cascading down her cheeks. The woman was crying.

 _Erza_ was _crying._

The very same Erza who he had promised would never cry again. But here she was, sobbing her heart out, begging him not to kill her. Nevertheless, what really shook Natsu, was that _he_ was the source of those tears. He had made Erza cry.

The shock caused him to lose all feeling in his limbs, dropping Erza in the process as he fell to his knees. He couldn't fathom what she had been going through, the very thing she trusted to prevent something actually causing it to happen. The fires in the crater suddenly snuffed out and the fire on E.N.D.'s back slowly dwindled as turmoil took over his mind.

He _was_ the reason for her tears. Hewas a failure. Worse, he was a promise breaker. He couldn't be trusted. How could he trust himself to keep any promise if he could' t even keep the simplest ones?

A failure. A god-damn good for nothing-

"It's okay,"

Two slender arms made their way around his torso, their soft pals gently stroking his backside. A mop of velvet red hair rested on his shoulder. The scent of strawberries and cinnamon invaded his nose. It smelt fresh.

"I forgive you,"

Forgiveness…forgiveness?! He didn't deserve _forgiveness._ He had made her wasn't meant to cry. He wasn't meant to make her cry. Yet he had done so anyway. Forgiveness was not what he deserved. Seeing as the Dragonslayer was still tense and not calm, the redhead pulled him closer, nestling his head in her bosom.

"I promise we'll get through this, "Slowly, Natsu began to relax in the swordswoman's embrace.

And this made the Black mage livid.

He was just about to die. He was about to finally get what he always wanted. His wish was going to be fulfilled. However, just like E.N.D. the daughter of Irene had denied him of his wish. His own brother had been bewitched by her. Most likely seduction. He had lost everything. They were going to pay dearly for this.

" ** _If I cannot have him…"_** The voice sounded nothing like his usual cocky tone. Now it was rasping, gathering all the energy he had for one last attack. At the sound of his voice, all attention was taken away from the pinkette and the redhead and given to him.

" ** _Nobody can!"_**

Mirajane Strauss had been watching the action quietly from the sidelines, and because of her initial shock, she had moved forward to the front of the group. This was what decided her fate.

The very second Zeref had finished speaking she heard the distinct sound of bones breaking. Her dress was suddenly very wet. Looking down, she saw it had been drenched in blood. Her airpipe soon became clogged. She found it difficult to breathe. The fluid had reached her mouth now. She bent over and was forced to spew it out onto the ground beside her.

Yet it wasn't blood, it was her lunch, and it was only when her senses had returned to normal did she notice that the blood was not her own.

In front of her, the two brothers stood face to face for what would be the last time. Connected by their right hand,s that were in the other's torso. One had made it through the ribcage. One had made it through the heart. It was Natsu's blood that stained Mirajane's dress. Zeref had a look of shock on his face.

Then slowly it morphed into a smile. A real happy smile. Strangely, Natsu thought he had seen it before, but it seemed like such long ago. Yet it was a smile he would never see again.

"Natsu, may I ask you one thing?"

Blood began to pour from the Black Mage's mouth as Natsu tasted iron in his own. He didn't know why, but he nodded. Black smoke rose from Zeref's body, the spell he had cast on himself in the situation that he did die coming into play.

"Take-take care of her okay? Make sure Mavis lives, happily."

Natsu then remembered Lucy telling him about something 'going on' between the First Master of Fairy Tail and Zeref. He nodded slowly. Half of Zeref's body had already gone.

The smile on the black mage's face became sad.

Then it was gone, forever.

 ** _Im tired, ill explain tomoz, blardy blardy blah. Ill update this chapter tomorrow so look out. Sorry for long wait_**

 ** _On a different note, the poll is currently at a draw_**

 ** _Edit: honestly I don't like this chapter, someone already pointed out what I hated most about it. Its just unrealistic._** ** _Like who in their right mind would watch their friend getting beat up. Its stupid. but this is anime._ :-).**

 ** _Sorry for the long waits with stupidly shot chapters. next one will be at least 2k. I also need a pairing by next Chapter. There had also been a very large rise in the vote for NaMiZa (altough technically not on the 'poll'). I don't mind that. If it keeps everyone happy and keeps em reading then its cool. If yall ok with this then im ok with it._**

 ** _Apart from that its 1 up in favour of NaZa_**

 ** _RR_**

 ** _Striker_**


	4. Demon

**Alright, I decided on a pairing . The long wait for the update has been explained (although ik I rlly should update more) But first, something I've been putting off for a while now**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail, Igneel would still be alive, and Natsu would be banging someone that isn't Lucy, probs Mira.**

* * *

Dawn turned into dusk as the courier finally arrived at the port town of Hargeon after two days of riding on the company owned boat from Alvarez. From here he could see the twinkling lights of the sleeping town. He thought them all to be lucky. Not only were they asleep but they had absolutely no Idea of the scale of the battle that war raging on in the next town. His legs ached from manning the wheel for so long, his temples throbbed with exhaustion and he was severely homesick. The thought of his mother's homemade pasta flooded his mouth with saliva.

And on top of all this, he couldn't get through the gate.

"No night shipments," says a guard. "Mid-war regulations."

So some people did know it seemed. Probably only those of importance though.

"This is a special delivery. I am expected," insists the courier, handing over a document enclosed with the details of his arrival.

"Turn around, you heard him" replies another guard, expressionless behind his helm.

Four meters above the gate, an assassin stands flat against one mirror-smooth obsidian glass spire of the gate, the weapons in his fists emblazoned with the crest of a clan long left behind, souvenirs from a lost time. He does not understand the conversation between the courier and the guards. In Japanese, the assassin knows these words:

 _I, You_

 _Hello, Goodbye_

 _Yes, No_

 _Yours, Mine_

 _Have, Be, Understand, Kill, Go_

 _Who, Where, What, When_

He does not need anything else, especially _why_. 'Why' is not his problem. Where he goes, he learns these words and leaves _why_ to the employer. If they wanted a specific method they should say. If they didn't like the results they died. That is how the assassin operated. It also got him very good reviews and references.

In any case, ' _How'_ is his only problem.

The courier raked his hands through his hair in annoyance. This was the only close gate for shipments in this town. The next closest gate would take another day to get to, a day he didn't have.

"Look, okay, I'll admit I'm not actually a courier but the guild _Berated Blade_ needs this package in the next twelve hours" He opened the package producing two blades. With the flick of a switch, the metal blazes were alive, molten metal flashing and spitting.

The employer had provided the assassin with a timetable of when the guards switched over shifts and their patrol routes. One of the guards from the previous shift lay dead in his locker, stripped to his underwear and his oesophagus clogged with his own blood.

Upon revealing the weapon two guards came rushing through the gate. One was strong and burly with a long career ahead of him, the other old and pending retirement. He would be even closer after today.

The assassin does not need to understand the conversation. He doesn't understand the use of conversation at all. He understands those blades, however, flaming eerie green through the infrared lens. His tongue sucked up onto the roof of his mouth. He slid his weapons back into their sheaths, silent, knees bending, anticipating the big spring, breath slow. The old guard's armour creaking slightly and he poised. Ready.

The assassin jumped, landing with the toes of one foot on the shoulder of the strong guard. Before the courier can react, the assassin has side flipped over him, his tail whipping in a spiral. He snatched the hilts of both blazing blades from the untrained hands of the courier, whose terrified face glows green.

"Mine," says the assassin, and pushes one molten blade down between the courier's left clavicle and shoulder blade, incinerating the man's heart.

When the guards turn away from the gate, only a shadow remains behind the blank-eyed courier, who slides sideways to a heap of burning flesh on the road. A shadow, and the one thing left in the courier's pack: a leather-bound journal bearing the national insignia of the Alvarez Empire.

The assassin decided he liked the blades. The Employer would have to die then. _'Noblesse Oblige';_ I can so I will. It was something the assassin used to believe in.

Over time,

* * *

Understatement of the year: Lucy was worried about her best friend.

He didn't speak. He didn't laugh. He didn't smile. He wouldn't look anyone in the eye. This alone was bad, but the most worrying thing was that Natsu hadn't eaten. _Natsu_ hadn't _eaten_. Three words Lucy never envisioned could ever be put together in the same phrase.

He had been camped outside Polyusica's house for a week now. Just staring at the door. No amount of Porlyusica's grumbling or Wendy's pleas on her frequent visits could get him to speak. The only times he seemed to make any movement at all was when the door opened and just for a second, Natsu was able to make out the red hair of the unconscious swordswoman inside.

Then it would close, and the cycle would repeat.

"You good Lucy?"

The blonde looked up at the only other human occupant at the table. Gray was without his shirt, as usual, with a sombre look on his face. His dark eyes studied her with interest. She had been still for the past 10 minutes which, for those who knew her, was very unlike her.

"I'm fine Gray," she offered a small smile. He didn't buy it, "also, Gray,"

"Yeah?"

"Your clothes!"

"Damn it!"

The ice mage spent a good 5 minutes looking for his missing shirt and shorts, unsuccessfully, for his not-so-secret admirer had taken them in an effort to 'win his love'.

"Never mind my clothes," he said as he sat, "I ain't buying that 'I'm fine' stuff. You're worried about him too, aren't you?

She sighed in response and sank further into her seat "I'm still trying to wrap my head around all… _this_. I mean, Natsu is E.N.D. for heaven's sake. Erza's been unconscious for a week because of Natsu, and to top it all off, I got a letter yesterday from the firm that awards author of the year; they want me to be at the finals!"

Gray held back his grin. Typical Lucy.

"Oi Lucy" She raised her head. "Don't worry about Erza, she's strong, she'll get through this.

"And Natsu?"

A pause followed.

"How about we go check on him now? We'll take some food and we won't take no for an answer. C'mon!" Gray stood up and walked over to Mirajane at the bar to order some extra food

Lucy sighed and stood up. She really wanted all of this to just blow away. She could feel the tension in the air whenever she was in the guild. If anything, the best thing she could do right now was to help her best friend.

* * *

Fault: the responsibility for an accident or a misfortune. Guilt: the feeling of having committed a wrong or failed in an obligation. Tiny raindrops splattered on his head, weighing down like his own sins.

It was _his_ entire fault.

Everything she had done for him. Every moment, every fight, every knock-out to save him from that horrible, horrible train. Every single tip, every single lesson, but the repayment? A full week's trip to the infirmary. And that wasn't it, of course, the worst part was that he, Natsu Dragneel, was E.N.D. The very thing they had fought to destroy only a few months ago. He was the only thing his father could not destroy. Natsu was the one who has caused himself so much pain. E.N.D. was the reason for Tartaros' creation, so the nine gates of Tartaros could grow closer to him. Even then, it was all a façade. A fake, just to grow closer to his dead brother.

Oh, Lord! His _brother_!

He had a brother! Someone who actually shared his own flesh and blood. His own DNA. His family. How did that make Natsu feel? Well, angry of course. He should have known. He had the right to know who his family was, no matter how demented or dark they were, they were family. And Natsu never turned his back on family. Never. It was against his moral code, his motto. He admitted that he was reckless, and his recklessness was one of his faults, but he would never willingly hurt one of his own, which was why what he had done to Ezra hurt so much.

He hated what he had done, if he could go back in time he would make sure that everyone stayed as far away from himself as possible, and then fight himself. Yet still, deep down inside of him, Natsu was scared. He was scared of himself. Scared for himself, because deep down, as much as Natsu hated it, Natsu had enjoyed the terror. During his time as E.N.D., Natsu was fully aware of his actions and as much as he wanted to stop he couldn't. The terror on their faces was like a drug. It filled him with glee. It fuelled his actions. Every hit, every cry, every tear was like the sweetest fire.

Hating yourself with 100% of your being is impossible, yet Natsu was coming dangerously close. He hadn't ignited a single fire since the incident. He didn't think he would start any time soon. And without that, he-

"Yo Natsu!"

The said pinkette jolted his head in the direction of the voice. Lucy and Gray stood stationary a few metres away from him. Surprised, he slowly brought his head back to its previous position. He hadn't heard them or smelled them. The look they gave him was odd. He judged they had been standing there long enough to see him mentally arguing with himself.

"Is everything alright Natsu?"

No. No a million times over. Nothing was alright. He was a demon for God's sake. He was the sole reason the whole Tartaros mess had ever happened.

He was about to reply until he looked at Lucy. It wasn't really a look, more like a study. She tried to hide the fact she was shaking. He could smell the salt just behind her eyelids. Her body posture was too rigid, very unlike the usual Lucy. Her right leg constantly moved from behind Gray's to besides it and back again. A sign of distrust, and with is brought the horrendous truth. His own best friend, Lucy Heartfilia, was scared of him. And in his opinion, she had every right to be.

That didn't mean that it hurt him any less.

"I'm fine." He accompanied his words with a weak smile.

Lucy, on the other hand, felt stupid. For God's sake, she thought, why on Earth are you hiding form Natsu? Yet every time she tried to move in front of Gray, she couldn't. Hesitation. Reluctance. Fear. In the end, that was the reality.

"We brought you lunch", she stated.

He waited, but she made no movement

She desperately wanted to help him. However, every time she looked at him, he looked different. And it wasn't just the physical changes. His longer than usual hair, his pitch black right hand with markings of similar shape that snaked up his arm, his overshadowed eyes. Yes, they were unsettling, but what really scared her was this…aura. Whenever she had come near to after the 'incident' the had been scared, for absolutely no reason at all.

So here she stood, helpless, unable to even offer him a simple lunch. Nevertheless, with everything in her heart, she wanted to fling her arms around him and cry.

Natsu sighed. It was to be expected. And as much as he didn't feel like getting up, he was still Natsu. He was known to be one of the fastest (and messiest) eaters in Fairy Tail. It not like he wasn't going to eat forever.

He stood up. Lucy gasped. Natsu had become significantly taller. Even as he walked up to her and Gray, she could instantly tell that he was taller than her. She had often wondered between Natsu and Gray which one of them was taller. She now had her answer. Standing next to them now, she estimated there were at least 5 inches between them in height. Natsu took the brown paper bag and sat down

As Natsu turned around Gray realised that as soon as he sat down, they would be exactly back to square one. They had made progress already; this was the first time they had seen him stand up in weeks. Seizing his chance, Gray asked

"Yo Natsu, aren't you gonna come with us in visiting her?

The pinkette stopped in his tracks. Slowly he turned his head. Lucy and Gray both suddenly felt a drastic increase in the Aura around Natsu. It was nothing like his usual magical aura, which was already unusually strong. This was stronger, scarier and far more unsettling. Gray had never imagined he could ever feel afraid of his sworn rival. But in that second, where he could finally glimpse Natsu's eyes he felt afraid. The golden orbs unsetttled him more that he would like to admit.

Then they were gone as suddenly as they came, and Natsu's posture became slumped, his eyes back to their usual onyx black, suddenly tired. Pink hair fell over black eyes as the dragonslayer turned to look at his two friends.

With an fake smile for added effect, he replied "Nah, sorry guys"

Crushing their hopes with three words, he proceeded to walk back to his spot, openign up the brown paper bag.

Lucy was going to have none of that. It had been a week already. Just before he sat down, she grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him toward Porlyusica's hut.

"Natsu, I didn't come all this way just to fail you know, I came to help you"

She looked back at his face with her ususal bright smile

"And that's exactly what I intend to do!"

* * *

The ceiling she looked at as she came to was unusual to her. The whitewashed ceiling was replaced with greenish brown, with faint lines and a darker centre. As her vision cleared she recognised it as the inside of a hollow tree. Light shone through the green tinted windows. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there. Nor how long she had slept. Every muscle in her body felt tired. The very moment she tried to sit upright she was assaulted with immense pain, causing her to gasp.

"You're awake"

The voice of the medic made her want to turn her head towards the voice,, which brought more pain.

"Do not move, most of your muscles are still recovering, and although many of the fractures have healed the one in your right leg is still recovering, and your right arm is broken. Blocking all of those attacks caused severe damage to your ulna."

While giving her the run down of her injuries, she seemed to be watching something from outside the window. Something interesting it seemed. She could faintly hear a voices through the ajar window.

"Don't move," she repeated. Yet Erza was stubborn, and once she put her mind to something , she did it. Despite the pain she managed to sit up and swing her legs over the bed. Standing up proved a harder task, as soon as she put her weight on her legs she collapsed

"Silly human"

The pink-haired medic walked over to the injured swordsman and hefted her arms onto her shoulders, helping her to stand. From here, just as she had predicted, Erza could see out of the window. Gray and Lucy seemed to be talking. Lucy, who held some sort of bag, stood behind Gray. Her, curiosity satisfied, she opened her mouth to ask the medic to take her to the chair.

A splash of pink in her peripheral vision caught her attention. She looked back at the window and gasped. Natsu was there with them.

 _Natsu_. Everything that happened a week ago came back to her instantly. The golden eyes. The smell of smoke. The crater. The beatings. She needed to talk to him.. She made for the door, and promptly fell.

"You want to see him," It wasn't a question. There was contempt in her eyes. She didn't understand humans, their feelings got in the way of most things they did. Porlyusica understood enough to know that that boy was the one who had injured Erza. Why she wanted to see him was beyond her.

"You are too injured, you require rest, another time maybe," Again, it wasn't a statement. Yet Erza is a stubborn woman. She had managed to get enough strength on one leg to put herself up against the wall, and was slowly proceeding against the door.

"Do you not understand?"

The swordswoman continued regardless. The medic did not admire her determination, she thought it was stupid. However, there was no way she was going to be able to put the redhead back in bed herself.

Erza was surprised when her arm was placed on Porlyusica's shoulders again, taking some of her weight.

"Thank you"

"Hmph"

* * *

Lucy had just reached for the door handle when it opened. Out from it stepped the person she was least expecting to be up on her own two feet. Supported by Porlyusica, Fairy Tail's resident Swordswoman stepped out in a pale blue hospital gown. Her right check was covered by a plaster and her untied scarlet hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Her right arms was bandaged and her right leg wobbled slightly under her own weight.

"Erza!"

"Hello Lucy"

The blonde ran towards the redhead for a hug, and was promptly stopped with a blow to the head from the medic.

"Do you want to send her back into a coma?"

"Gomen."

"It's nice to see you too Lucy," They both smiled.

"Yo Erza!," Gray raised one hand in greeting "You're looking better"

"Hi Gray," She gave him a smile "Have either of you seen Natsu?"

"He's right here". Lucy pointed to behind her where she had let go of the dragonslayer's hand to greet Erza.

The pinkette was nowhere to be found.

* * *

 _ **Yay, finito, Sorry for the extremely slow updates. At least this chapter was long. Now for reviews:**_

 _ **Tsuki-no Hazame Hime: Nice name. And thanks a lot**_

 _ **Pokedude 816: OMG, i had no idea till i went and checked, thanks a lot!**_

 _ **TheLaughingStalkingLenny-kun: yeah basically. Ik its not realistic,I probs should have thought that out better, just image there's like some sore of magic barrier or something**_

 _ **And thanks to the rest of you who have given your votes and your thoughts. As for pairings, lets go with NaMiZa. Although, technically this wasn't part of the vote and it may disappoint some of you, some of you who had initially voted for one went and voted for both after chapter 3. Also i'll fix chapter 3.**_

 _ **Hopefully the next update will be quicker**_

 _ **Striker**_


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